The Holiday Trials of a Saiyan Prince
by vegamarie
Summary: Christmas time is always an ordeal for Vegeta, especially when he gets suckered into going along with Bulma for last minute holiday shopping at the mall. Besides that, Bulma has a little secret that might make or break his Christmas spirit.
1. Chapter 1

_This is just a little story about Christmas with Vegeta and Bulma. It might be a little OOC, so beware, but I got the idea in my head and I just had to write it down. So Happy Holidays to all that decide to read this story in the hopes of getting some Christmas cheer._

_Disclaimer: Don't own Dragon Ball Z_

_Christmas Eve_

It was a beautiful December morning, one that many people would be able to remember later because of its perfection. It had snowed the night before, leaving a fresh dusting that coated the trees and the buildings, making it look like a divine winter wonderland. Holiday lights and decorations were up and the temperature was almost above freezing so it was tolerable for those people who didn't consider themselves to be snowbirds. People were bustling around busily, trying to get their last minute holiday shopping done before the big day tomorrow. No one seemed to notice the unusual couple that was walking through the congested parking lot of the mall.

Vegeta looked around at the mill of people walking into the mall that always accompanied the ridiculous human holiday known as Christmas. Crossing his arms, he tried to make himself as small as possible so as to avoid notice and to also avoid being touched or jostled by the myriad of human beings who were all here for the same reason as himself and his mate: to finish the shopping that went along with the preposterous idea of gift giving (although he certainly didn't mind receiving them). He still didn't know how he had got suckered into going along with Bulma, but here he was and he had a feeling that they would be in for the long haul today. For some reason, unknown to him, Bulma thrived on big crowds and the rowdiness that went along with last minute shopping. Usually, he never had to go along with her, but this year, it just so happened that everyone else who could have conveniently helped her out was out of the picture. Seeing that they were closing in on the mall, he quickly stepped around Bulma to pull open the door, making sure that no one touched his body. Growling under his breath, he waited for Bulma to go in ahead of him, hissing in exasperation as she took her sweet time entering.

"For the love of God Woman, hurry it up! The faster we get in here, the faster we can get out of here!" Vegeta hissed under his breath.

Bulma just looked up fondly at her husband, gently patting him on the cheek, surprised at his gentlemanly manners. He had really mellowed out over the years. To think, she'd actually canoodled him into helping her with the Christmas shopping this year! That had to be a record. Walking around him, she opened her winter coat and shook the snow out of her hair, reaching around to grab Vegeta's hand.

"Loosen up would you? You're acting like this is some sort of death sentence! Just be grateful you don't have to sit on Santa's lap, although I do think it would make an adorable picture." A muttered "You would." was all the response she got out of him. Sighing happily that she got to spend the entire day with Vegeta, Bulma pulled out her list complete with all of the stores that they had to stop at to get her last minute gifts for her family. The only people she had left were Trunks and her mother. Smiling happily to herself, she had already gotten Vegeta's present a while ago and there was another one that she had just found out about that would most likely surprise her husband. At least she hoped it would, thinking about the first time she had given him that particular present. Clearing her mind of any uncertain thoughts, she turned her attention back to Vegeta who looked like a wild animal about to go on a rampage.

Rubbing his hand in a comforting motion, Bulma stepped in a little closer. "Hey bud, it's Christmas! Put a little holiday spirit into that frowny face of yours!"

Letting out a huff of resignation, Vegeta tried to calm himself down. He just wasn't a people person and being forced to endure endless crowds of crazy last minute shoppers out for a bargain was not his idea of a fun or relaxing time. "I don't see why you needed me to come along. I don't even know what it is you're looking for and besides, I have no clue as to where to look seeing as I avoid this confounded place like the plague."

"Well, it was either come along with me or baby-sit Trunks."

Yes, he remembered now. She'd tricked him into coming along by threatening to make him look after his son and Kakarot's brat at the same time. At the time, he had thought for some reason that coming along with Bulma would be the lesser of two evils. It wasn't until they had pulled into the mall parking lot that he had come to the conclusion that he would rather watch over two obnoxious demi-saiyans any day then go last minute Christmas shopping.

He was about to make a smart aleck remark back to Bulma when he saw someone about to run into his mate, not paying attention to where they were going and not really caring about who they pushed themselves into. Quickly maneuvering around Bulma he pushed her out of the way, letting the arrogant human run into him instead. Putting his foot out slightly, he watched in amusement as the idiot tripped and fell to his knees.

Seeing what her husband had just done, Bulma yanked on his arm, pulling him out of the way before he could start a scuffle with a complete stranger, knowing the stranger would be the one to come out with the short end of the stick. The last thing she wanted was for mall security to show up and have to escort her and her surly, short-tempered husband off the premises before she had even started her shopping. Rounding on him, she put her hands on her hips.

"Hey Vegeta, what the heck was that for? We're here to shop, not accost bystanders and get kicked out!"

"Well, it was either that or have you get trampled alive. Besides, he should have watched where he was walking. He's lucky I didn't do anything worse for touching my princely body with his filthy foot." Let her berate him. She was lucky he was in a gracious mood or else he wouldn't have allowed her to pull him away. And pounding some idiot baka certainly seemed appealing at the moment.

Smiling slightly at his small kindness, Bulma tugged on his arm again, steering him away from the corridor they were standing in towards the toy store that held one of Trunks's Christmas presents.

"What in God's green earth is this horrible place?" Vegeta muttered out as he found himself being taken into a store full of colorful toys and screaming children. Covering his sensitive ears, he looked at Bulma, pleading with his eyes that they not stop. Unfortunately, that's exactly where she seemed intent on entering.

"This, Vegeta, is a toy store, and we have to come in here otherwise Trunks won't be getting that Megagravaman action set he's been wanting for Christmas. And it was the first thing on his Christmas list." Yanking him bodily inside, Bulma marched through the crowded aisles as though she owned the place, only stopping when she came to the exact place where Trunks's present was located.

Vegeta just stared at the ridiculous garbage his son seemed so obsessed about. If it were up to him, he wouldn't be getting anything childish for Christmas. He was eleven, and by Saiyan standards, had planet Vegeta still existed, he would have been part of a squad going out on purging missions. Besides that, Vegeta knew all about the myth that surrounded Christmas and according to it, if you were naughty, the only gift you were supposed to receive from the stupid fat elf was a piece of coal, something Bulma had given him as a joke on his first Christmas. And in his opinion, Trunks's behavior for the last year warranted a whole truckload of coal, not some sissy plastic action toy. Looking back over at Bulma, he realized she was just standing there instead of getting the infernal toy off the shelf so they could leave.

"Woman, are you going to get the damn thing or are you going to stare at it until it walks away on its own?"

Turning her head sideways slightly, Bulma looked over at Vegeta. Smiling, she motioned for him to move closer, which wasn't difficult seeing as they were surrounded by a multitude of like-minded patrons. "I can't reach it Vegeta. The last one is stuck on the top shelf."

"And what do you expect me to do about it? We're the same height."

Rolling her eyes, she motioned with her hands, whispering into his ear what she wanted him to do. I mean, what was the point of having a husband with super powers if she couldn't take advantage of them once in a while? Of course, Vegeta didn't see it that way.

"Forget it Woman. Get the store servant person to help you out, but I'm not doing it." It would be demeaning not to mention risky with all of the people wandering up and down the aisles.

"Come on Vegeta! Don't be such a spoilsport. We can wait until the aisle is clear. You can grab it in under a millisecond and no one will be the wiser. Besides, if I have to leave to find the clerk, it might not be here by the time I get back." Batting her eyelashes at him, Bulma put on her most helpless look, hoping he would feel a smidgen of guilt about not wanting to help. Besides, she wasn't in any condition to be running around the store looking for clerks who weren't busy, who would be pretty much impossible to find anyway. But Vegeta didn't know that and she didn't want to ruin her surprise.

Looking at Bulma's expression, Vegeta found himself caving in. Hoping his father in Hell never saw how soft he had become, he let out a sigh of defeat. He just couldn't resist her when she looked at him like that, making him feel like he was two inches tall.

"Fine, but I'm never doing this again for you, understood?"

Smiling happily, Bulma wrapped her arms around Vegeta's waist and gave him a quick hug before anyone walked around the corner. Looking around, she let out a breath of relief that everyone at the moment seemed concentrated at the front of the store

"Well, all seems clear Vegeta, so do it while you have the chance. I'll keep watch."

Growling under his breath, Vegeta quickly levitated so that he was level with the top shelf. The things he did for her! He was about to drop down, when he heard a gasp that definitely hadn't come from Bulma. Rotating around slowly, he saw two young punks gaping at him in amazement. Looking angrily down at Bulma, he threw her the stupid toy before he landed.

Hissing in irritation, he glanced over at Bulma. "I thought you said you were going to keep watch. Some sentry you make." Bulma at least had the decency to blush in embarrassment. But unfortunately, the two boys were excited and curious about the strange man who had been floating right before their very eyes.

"Are you Santa Claus?" One kid asked when he finally got his mouth to work right.

Glowering at the brat, Vegeta snorted in exasperation. Honestly, how kids could be so stupid and gullible was beyond him. "Of course I'm not that idiotic elf. Do I have a beard? Is my hair white? And most importantly, am I fat? No! So therefore, I'm not Santa!"

The other little boy, who was just finishing up from pulling an extremely large and disgusting booger out of his nose decided to question Vegeta's answer. He'd seen the man float so there had to be something magical about him, and everyone knew that Santa was magical. How else did he deliver toys to all the children in the world in one night?

"Well, maybe you're Santa in disguise. Santa can fly and we saw you float up there," the boy said as he wiped the offending booger onto his pants leg, causing Vegeta to want to gag in disgust at how grotesque and unclean the little varmint was. Bulma, on the other hand, found the idea that these two boys thought that cynical and cranky Vegeta was Santa was hysterical. If it weren't for the fact that she was afraid he would blow up the store because of his short fuse, she would have started to laugh outright. But all she could do was smile benignly and shelve the experience in her mind to share it with her mother and Chi-Chi at a more opportune time.

"Look brat, I'm not going to explain it again. Rest assured I'm not Santa. So scram before I decide to fry you up into two perfect little sausages." Vegeta bellowed at the two boys. But instead of running away in fright, they only seemed all the more impressed with Vegeta. One of the boys grabbed the other's shirt, pulling him in even closer to where he was standing.

Booger boy pulled away from his brother, walking up so that he almost touched Vegeta with his filthy, germ infested hand.

"Wow, you could turn us into sausages? You really must have a lot of magic if you can do something like that. That's so cool. Anyway, maybe you aren't Santa." Vegeta was about to let out a sigh of relief that the two disgusting creatures were finally getting the point when the other brat's eyes suddenly lit up as though a light bulb had gone off in his brain.

"Yeah, you really don't look much like Santa. But your hair is really cool the way it stands up on end. I bet you're one of Santa's elves! That would explain your magical properties." Leaning over excitedly, the boy started to whisper loudly into booger boy's ear. "Wait until we tell Teddy about this! He'll be so jealous that he had to go over to Grandma's this morning instead of getting to meet a magical elf!" Unfortunately for the two boys, Vegeta could hear every word they whispered to one another and he had had enough. Feeling his eye begin to twitch, he let his temper slide up a notch.

"Enough brats! For the last time, I'm not Santa nor am I one of his elves and if you don't leave me alone this instant, there won't be anything of you left to turn into sausages!"

Seeing how scary the elf looked with his twitching eye, veins popping out of his head and the strange gold lights that were flickering around his body, the two boys grabbed a hold of each others hands and made a run for it before they got stuck on Santa's naughty list.

Bulma shook her head as she saw the two boys make a beeline for another aisle. "Well Vegeta, that went well. Not only are they convinced you're an elf, you scared them half to death. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes when their mother shows up to ream you out."

Letting himself calm down, Vegeta slowly turned around to face Bulma, who was holding tightly onto the toy he had just grabbed for her watching him wryly.

"If they're smart, they won't say a thing. Besides, what human adult would buy a story like that especially from children that looks like they just came inside from rolling around in a landfill?" And if their mother did believe such a wild tale, he would calmly step aside and let Bulma deal with her, seeing it was her fault he'd been visually compromised in the first place.

Shifting the toy so that it was underneath her left arm, Bulma walked over to Vegeta and grabbed a hold of his hand pleased when he didn't take it away. "I suppose you're right. If it weren't for the fact that I know you, I probably wouldn't believe a story like that if Trunks had told it to me."

Making a move towards the store entrance, Bulma pulled Vegeta along, even though he seemed to be highly reluctant to enter the fray at the checkout counter. "Come on, let's get out of here. I got what I wanted and if you promise to behave in the checkout line, I'll treat you to something in the food court." At least with Vegeta, she knew that food was definitely a way to warm him up. Besides which, she could hear his stomach growling and churning and if she didn't get food into him soon, whatever semi-decent mood he was in would evaporate like smoke the longer he had to be around large crowds of people.

Standing in line, things seemed to be progressing slowly but steadily and Bulma patiently tapped her foot and started humming off key Christmas carols all to the annoyance of Vegeta. They had almost made it to the front of the line when two young voices started to pipe up loudly not very far behind them.

"There he is Mom! We swear it on scouts' honor that he's an elf. He's even short like one! You've gotta believe us!"

Turning around angrily, Vegeta gave his best death stare to booger boy and his accomplice. Seeing them swallow nervously, Vegeta allowed himself a small smirk of satisfaction before turning around to face Bulma who was obviously trying to contain her laughter but failing miserably. He was about to tell her to shut her stupid mouth when he felt someone tap him on his shoulder. Swinging around, he came face to face with the two obnoxious boys' mother. Rolling his eyes heavenward and rubbing his temples, he wondered if Dende was playing some sort of joke on him to make this Christmas eve the worst one he'd ever had to live through. But when she started to talk to him, he realized it wasn't going to be as bad as he thought it would be.

"I'm sorry sir about Timmy and Tommy. They have really overactive imaginations and for some reason, you ended up being the target for one of their make believe magic stories. It happens every time we go to a store." Vegeta just nodded his head slightly. He hated it when people apologized to him because he wasn't the type to be polite back unless it was necessary. So he just made gestures with his body to avoid the possibility of actually having to carry on a conversation with a stranger. He was about to turn around when booger boy pulled on his mother's sweater.

"No Mom, we aren't making this up! He really was floating in the air and he told us he could turn us into sausages! And when he got mad at us, his hair started to change color and there was this really cool bright light flashing around him. We're telling the truth. Just ask the blue haired lady standing next to him. She saw the whole thing happen too!"

All the woman did after her son's long speech was look exasperated and embarrassed that her eight year old twins were such hooligans, making sport of a stranger. "That is enough Timmy! Though there are Christmas elves to help Santa out with the toys, I don't think one would be in a toy store shopping. Besides which, it is physically impossible for people to fly. I've never seen one. Now apologize to this nice gentleman this instant or I'll personally make sure you won't be getting any toys from Santa this year."

Looking glum and upset that their mother wouldn't believe them, Timmy and Tommy stepped up to Vegeta. Looking at their boots, they made a hasty apology before scrambling back behind their mother who was glad that the ordeal was finally over with. Vegeta just gave the boys a curt nod before turning around to Bulma, who was just finishing up her transaction. As soon as they walked out of the store, Vegeta turned on her.

"Never, ever bring me to that place again Woman, or else I'll personally make sure it's eradicated off the face of this planet!"

Patting him reassuringly on the shoulder, Bulma smiled slightly as she started to move in the direction of the food court. "Well, I have to admit, you did very well in there. In fact, I'm impressed you made it through the whole ordeal without blasting the store to ashes!"

Walking along side Bulma, trying to shield the both of them from oncoming traffic, Vegeta stuffed his hands into his corduroy pants, looking angrily around him. How humiliating to be thought of as an elf. "Woman, where are we going now? I don't know how much more of this I can stand."

"Don't worry so much Vegeta. I told you I'd treat you to the food court if you behaved in the store, so that's where we are stopping next."

He just gave Bulma a sour look. Although food did seem like a welcome reprieve, he didn't like being treated like a child by his mate, even if she was only teasing him. He was about to say as much when he realized the congested place in front of them packed to the hilt with people _was_ the food court. Grabbing Bulma's upper arm, he quickly started to move away from the scene in front of him which unfortunately reminded him of his own personal experience in HFIL.

Trying to pull away from her husband's iron clad grip, Bulma managed to keep her feet rooted in the spot they had been standing in, only to find herself being yanked along whatever trajectory Vegeta's panic stricken mind had mapped out at record speed.

"Vegeta, stop already! Where the heck are you going? The food is in the opposite direction you big monkey!" Bulma yelled as she was bodily dragged down the crowded corridor.

"Forget the damn food! I refuse to go inside that…that hell!"

"Fine, we'll stop at a buffet after we're done, but could you please stop yanking me along before you pull my arm out? Jeez, you'd think you were being attacked by Frieza instead of having to go into a room full of people by the way that you're acting!"

Stopping abruptly in one of the mall wings that seemed less crowded then the rest, Vegeta let go of Bulma's arm, watching her as she rolled her shoulder and rubbed the part where he had been gripping. "For your information Woman, I would never have run away from Frieza. But that was too much, even for one as powerful as me. It's one thing to show up in a crowded place intent on wiping everyone out but it's quite another to actually have to endure being shoved and pushed around all for the sake of getting something to eat. And since I've already been forced into making a spectacle of myself, the last thing I want or need is to have a bunch of weakling humans stare at me while I eat." And he knew that's exactly what would happen. Anytime he went to a public restaurant with Bulma and Trunks, it was inevitable that nosy human beings would stare in awe and disgust at the amount of food the two of them ingested to feel completely satisfied.

Bulma just rolled her eyes thoroughly put out that she'd been physically hauled across the mall like a sack of potatoes. "Whatever Vegeta. You can believe whatever you want to believe. Let's just get to the next store before you really flip out and end up on the most wanted list for murdering hundreds of innocent bystanders." Picking up the bag that held Trunks's toy from the floor where she had dropped it, she moved down the wing, pleasantly surprised that the corridor Vegeta had decided to bolt down was the one with the next store on her list.

Stepping into the large department store, she made her way to the housewares department, somewhat relieved that this store wasn't as crowded as the last one. At least she knew Vegeta would be able to relax somewhat without the constant bustle of people around him.

"So Vegeta, what do you think I should get my mom for Christmas?" Bulma asked as she peered at a state of the art juicer, examining the display model to see how well it was put together.

"Why are you asking me? I'd give your mother a free trip to the next dimension it is was up to me." Vegeta folded his arms and looked around at all of the gadgets that humans had invented to supposedly make life easier. For the most part, he thought all they did was make life that much more complicated.

"Uh, somehow I'm not surprised. I don't think that would go over to well with my dad or Trunks. Besides, I don't know why you have such an issue with my mother."

"It's because I have to live in the same house with her, endure her stupid and asinine comments and put up with her generally insipid countenance, that's why. I dislike stupid people, and your mother, she fits into that category." With that, Vegeta started to stalk into the rest of the store, leaving Bulma behind. Maybe they had a spandex department or some kind of personal training center. One could only hope.

Bulma put down the juicer she was looking at, picking up her shopping bag and making a beeline for the retreating Vegeta. "Hey, Vegeta! Wait up! You can't leave me all alone. We're here together, remember?"

Letting out a huff and aiming his eyes heavenward, Vegeta motioned for Bulma to hurry it up. The faster they got out of here, the sooner they would be able to leave so he could get something to eat.

"I take it you don't think I should get her something from the housewares department since you're in such a hurry to leave?" Bulma asked once she caught up to him.

"Look, I really don't give a damn what you get your mother. Just pick something so we can get out of here!"

Why did he have to be such a cranky pants and ruin her perfect day? Feeling her good mood beginning to evaporate she turned her thoughts to what she was going to tell Vegeta after they opened their presents tonight. That surprise had been helpful for keeping her Christmas spirit alive even when she had the most inconsiderate and grouchy husband in the universe to contend with around the holidays.

"Fine. I was thinking of getting her a gift certificate for a make over here at the makeup counter and a new nightgown. I mean, she has everything else you could possibly want, and I can make her better things for around the kitchen then what you're going to find here."

"Well if you already had it all planned out, why did you need to drag me along to 'help'?"

"Because, I wanted to spend time with you Vegeta, that's why. Look, I know you're not crazy about shopping, but I'm nuts about Christmas Eve and I wanted to spend it with the man I love. Call me sentimental, but I just thought it would be nice to have you all to myself, at least for most of the day instead of sharing you with the Gravity Room."

Vegeta stood gaping at Bulma speechless. She'd tricked him into coming along just so she could spend the day with him? What had gotten into her? Still, he felt rather warm and fuzzy inside thinking that anyone besides baka Kakarot would want to spend an inordinate amount of time with him. Plus, he could admit to himself that he also loved Bulma and well, he was just turning into the biggest marshmallow and her words made him feel somewhat guilty for being such a complainer.

"Fine Woman. I'll try to be more accommodating," he said as he grabbed the bag she was holding containing Trunks's stupid present. He had only moved about a quarter of a step when he found himself wrapped up in Bulma's warm embrace. Getting over the shock of being accosted, he was even more surprised and embarrassed when she kissed him on the lips in public, feeling his face beginning to take on a shade of red reminiscent of an overripe tomato. Gently pushing Bulma away from his body, he was even more shocked to see that she had tears in her eyes, even though she was smiling enthusiastically.

"What's wrong with you Woman? I just told you I'd try not to be so ill tempered."

Wiping her tears of happiness away, Bulma felt foolish. Stupid hormones, they did funny things to her moods. "It's nothing Vegeta. But, uh, would you mind waiting for a second? I've got to, you know, use the ladies room."

Letting out a sigh of inevitability, Vegeta ran his hand through his spiky black hair. "What is it with you females always having to go to the bathroom? It just goes to show how superior we of the male sex are to you weakling women, since we can refrain ourselves from using the restroom every twenty minutes or so." Seeing Bulma's eyes start to light up, Vegeta decided to hurry up with his conversation before her good mood did a complete 360. "Just hurry it up. If you're not back in five minutes, I'll go in the female bathroom and bodily pull you out." With that, he waited for Bulma to hurry it up. Standing rooted to the spot he was in, he noticed how many people were walking past him. Looking at the wristwatch Bulma had given him last year for Christmas, he was annoyed to see that more than five minutes had elapsed since Bulma had taken off. Growling in aggravation to himself, he started to head off in the direction of the ladies room, intent on carrying out his threat. He hadn't gotten very far when he saw a familiar blue haired head looking through some racks in a nearby department.

Bulma was so intent on looking through the racks that she didn't realize Vegeta was right behind her until he yelled in her ear. Screaming, she almost jumped a foot in the air, almost knocking over a nearby rack while simultaneously giving herself a heart attack.

"Ohhh Vegeta, don't do that! Ugh, you can be such a meanie sometimes!"

"Well, don't blame it on me. You were past your five minutes and I had to come looking for you. Be grateful you weren't still in the bathroom. I had it all planned out in my head on how to drag you out of their while making sure you received the attention of everyone in this store." Looking around where she was standing, he tried to figure out what it was she was sorting through. "What are you looking at?"

Feeling slightly nervous, Bulma tried to put back what she was holding in her hands. "Uh, nothing Vegeta. Lets just go and get my mom's gift certificate and nightgown. Then we can get out of here." Unfortunately, Vegeta grabbed what she had tried to put back, staring at it in disgust. It was a piece of tiny clothing and it was…pink.

"Ugh, woman, what possessed you to even look at this?" That's when he realized what it was he was holding. Baby clothes. Dropping it like a hot potato, Vegeta wanted to scream in frustration. "Confounded Kakarot! That stupid baka has to beat me at everything. Not only does he have two stupid brats of his own, but his one brat already has a child. And now Kakarot's going to have a third one!"

Bulma just stared at Vegeta in amazement. "What on earth are you talking about Vegeta? Goku's not having another baby." Inwardly sighing in relief, Bulma was glad he hadn't figured out the real reason she was browsing. "I was just looking at an outfit for Pan, that's all."

"Uh, alright." Vegeta wanted to sink into the floor. How humiliating to have spouted out his absurd obsession with beating or matching Kakarot at something in front of Bulma when he had thought he had only said it in his head. "Can we just get out of this section?"

"Yes, lets!" Bulma said, almost a bit to enthusiastically. In only a matter of minutes, the two of them found and purchased Mrs. Briefs Christmas presents, leaving the store in record speed, only to be thrown back to the sharks as soon as they found themselves back in the mall.

"All right Woman, where else do we have to go?" Vegeta asked testily as soon as he saw the ocean of people surrounding them.

"To that buffet I promised you. Are you in the mood for Chinese? I am. I think I can eat about one hundred crab rangoons right about know."

"What, you're telling me that the only reason we had to come was for those three things? Why didn't you do this earlier in the stupid season instead of waiting until today of all days?"

"Because Vegeta, they had a sale going on for Trunks's toy and I'm a bargain hunter. Besides, it's my own personal tradition to shop the day before Christmas, no matter what. I absolutely love it!" Grabbing his hand before he had more time to yell at her, they both made their way to the mall entrance. Walking outside, they both let out audible sighs of relief that the shopping ordeal was over with. Zipping up her coat, Bulma looked over at Vegeta who was still getting over his relief at leaving the crowded mall.

"You didn't answer me Vegeta. Is Chinese okay?"

Glancing wryly at Bulma he pulled her close to his warm body as they made their way to their waiting vehicle. "It's fine Woman. I'd like to see you try to eat that much without exploding."

Grinning up at her husband, Bulma put her head on his shoulder, pleased when he didn't try to avoid it. "You're on buddy!" Maybe the Christmas spirit had infected Vegeta. All she could hope was that he would be happy and pleased with the surprise she had in store for him later that night.

_Well, that was long but I can't seem to write anything short. This will only be a two-part story and I should have the next one up later tonight or tomorrow._


	2. Chapter 2

_Here it is, part two. I hope it gives you some Christmas cheer. And thanks to everyone who reviewed. I didn't really expect to get any so they were like little Christmas presents in their special way. _

_Disclaimer: Don't own DBZ_

_Later that same day around evening time…_

Vegeta stood looking at himself in the mirror, feeling ridiculous in the getup that Bulma insisted he wear for their little family get together. Every year since Trunks was old enough to walk, it was the same thing. She made the both of them wear matching sweaters on Christmas Eve. Smiling wryly, he thought back to the first time he'd had to wear the annoying human garment. He and Bulma had had a huge fight with him threatening to destroy all of West City. It wasn't until Bulma had gone out to the Gravity Room and threatened to permanently disable it and never fix it if he didn't wear the stupid sweater that he had caved in. He supposed he could endure the humiliation of wearing an ugly sweater for one evening, but he couldn't survive without his Gravity Room. Besides that, Bulma had had to bring up the fact that he'd worn a pink shirt in front of the entire Z-Squad, so what was the big deal about wearing a sweater that was at least in masculine colors? He couldn't find fault with that argument, so a tradition had been born that fateful day.

He was still looking at his reflection when Bulma came out of the bathroom they shared, putting on an earring that complimented the slinky black cocktail dress she had on. Seeing Vegeta's expression at having to wear the sweater she had bought him, she let out a small laugh before she went up to him and gave him a hug. Looking into his coal black eyes, she tweaked his nose playfully.

"Don't you look handsome?"

"I look like an idiot." Reluctantly pushing Bulma away, he gestured to the sweater he was wearing. "I don't see why you insist on both me and the brat wearing such…such revolting clothing. If Kakarot would see me dressed like this, it would be the ultimate humiliation."

"Oh come on Vegeta. You know very well that Goku isn't going to see you in that sweater. Besides, I think I did a really good job picking this year's out." She had found the sweater in a catalog and she thought it was to die for. It was a deep candy apple red with a Nordic snowflake design along the chest and upper arms of the turtleneck sweater. As an added bonus, it hugged Vegeta's muscular physique to a tee and she had always thought he looked good wearing turtlenecks. Along with the khaki cargo pants she'd pulled out for him and some nice brown shoes she'd found, he looked gorgeous, much better then what he usually looked like in his spandex training gear. "Besides, this year I didn't pick one out with a snowman or a reindeer on it."

"You expect me to be grateful for that small favor? You have to be out of your mind." He said as he tugged at the neck of his sweater uncomfortably. The damn thing itched and he was starting to feel overheated as Bulma had a nasty habit lately of cranking up the heat in their bedroom whenever she entered the room.

"I'm not out of my mind! I tried to pick a design that wouldn't have you complaining and whining about wearing it but I guess I'm never going to win this battle. At least Trunks doesn't fuss about wearing them." Unfortunately, right at that moment, the door swished open and in walked Trunks, tugging at the neck of his sweater in a similar manner to Vegeta.

"Awww Mom, do I have to wear this stupid sweater? It's itchy and I'm eleven! Only babies wear sweaters that match their dad's!" He complained loudly as he flopped himself miserably onto the bed his parents shared. Looking over at his dad, he winked conspiratorially. They had both planned this out so maybe, if the both of them complained loud enough, Bulma would cave in a let them wear something else for the evening. Unfortunately, Bulma had the eyes of a hawk and she saw Trunks's sneaky wink.

"I know what you two are up to and the answer is N-O, no! I only ask you guys to dress semi-decent once a year for Christmas Eve. Besides, it's only you guys, me and my mom and dad. So I don't see what the big deal is." Walking over to the bed, she grabbed Trunks by the arms and pulled him off, ruffling his lavender hair as he grouchily walked over to where Vegeta was standing impatiently. "Now chop chop you two! Let's get downstairs before Dad devours all of Mom's cream cheese puffs." With that, she ushered the two men in her life out of the room, making sure they made their way downstairs. She really didn't have to worry about Trunks showing up for her family's Christmas Eve festivities, but she always had to keep an eye out for Vegeta. Although he had gotten better over the years of being able to weather Christmas Eve, he did have a nasty habit of disappearing when she wasn't paying attention. And tonight, it was very important that she kept him by her side until everyone disappeared for the evening.

Turning into the family room, Vegeta glowered sourly as he saw Mrs. Briefs blow him a kiss. At least this year, they hadn't put any mistletoe up. Last year, he'd somehow managed to land under it at the same exact time that Mrs. Briefs had walked into the room. Needless to say, he'd found out exactly how revolting it was to be kissed by his mother-in-law and he had made a vow to himself to never end up in that predicament again. The sad thing was, he'd actually enjoyed the mistletoe, using it as an excuse to kiss Bulma in the corners when nobody was around. But after that experience…he shuddered at just how much it had turned him off to the joys of that particular holiday tradition.

Walking over to his favorite recliner, Vegeta slouched into it and crossed his arms, looking at the stupid Christmas tree that was sitting in the corner. He didn't really understand the point of having one. Since Bulma insisted on having a real tree, the thing shed needles all over the floor, making a blasted mess. Besides, it looked ridiculous with all the silly ornaments that adorned it, half of them being homemade ones that both Bulma and then Trunks had made in school. In fact, the whole point of the holiday still confused Vegeta, although he had figured out that it had something to do with giving. At any rate, he had never in his life experienced a holiday quite like Christmas until he had come to Earth and settled down. Planet Vegeta certainly hadn't had a holiday as soft and mushy as Christmas and he didn't think it had been in Frieza's vocabulary to allow for joviality and happiness unless it was somehow connected to death and destruction. At any rate, it was one more pointless human tradition he'd adjusted to mostly because it made Bulma happy. Relaxing a bit in his chair, he let his mind wander.

Bulma had gone back into the kitchen to help her mom bring out the rest of their little Christmas Eve feast of hor d'oevres and Christmas cookies. Looking around the room, she saw her dad showing Trunks something that had her little boy completely engrossed. She also saw Vegeta sitting in his chair staring off into space. Setting the tray that she had carried in down, she walked over to where he was sitting, leaning over and waving her hand in front of his face.

"Hello? Is anybody home? Snap out of it Vegeta. Load up your plate with food before it disappears. As soon as everyone is done eating, we can open presents and then we'll be done, how does that grab you?"

Shaking his head, Vegeta pushed his way out of the chair, grabbing two plates and loading an enormous quantity of gourmet treats onto them. Turning around, he sprawled back into his chair and started to stuff his face. This was probably the only part of Christmas that he actually truly enjoyed besides getting the few presents he received from Bulma.

Settling herself down in a nearby chair, Bulma started to wolf down the food that she had just put on her plate, amazing her son in the process.

"Holy crap Mom! Wow, you could almost beat Dad in an eating contest at the rate you're shoveling that stuff in. That's awesome!" Usually, his mom picked at her food, complaining that she had to in order to keep her girlish figure. So to see her really chow down was nothing short of amazing.

Swallowing her mouthful, Bulma blushed. "I guess I'm just really hungry. Christmas shopping and getting ready for tonight probably did me in." Well, that wasn't the real reason she was so hungry, but as of yet, nobody knew and she wasn't going to spoil her surprise for Vegeta prematurely. Letting out a delicate burp to the disgust of Vegeta, who eyed her warily before continuing on with feeding his face, Bulma wiped her mouth on her napkin, thinking content thoughts about her strange family. She was about to get up and load her plate with seconds when Mrs. Briefs walked over to her, somewhat unsteadily.

"Bulma, honey, would you like some eggnog? You usually have at least one glass but I haven't seen you touch it."

Looking at her mom, Bulma let out a little sigh. She did love eggnog, but, well, she would have to forgo it this year unless her mother hadn't added the secret ingredient. "Does it have brandy in it Mom?"

Laughing happily, Mrs. Briefs let out a hiccup that pretty much confirmed Bulma's suspicion. "Of course it does dear! Otherwise, what would be the point of drinking it?" With that, Mrs. Briefs weaved unsteadily across the floor, managing to trip on the corner of the coffee table and land head first into the couch, causing Vegeta to snort in amusement and Bulma to turn red in embarrassment. It was the same thing every year. Her mother wasn't much of a drinker, but for some reason, every Christmas Eve, she got drunk off the eggnog, and by looking at the state of her, she had to have started drinking it at least an hour before they had all gathered around the Christmas tree.

Dr. Briefs, seeing the condition of his inebriated wife, got up from where he was sitting and pulled her upright. Gently slapping her in the face to get her attention, he led her over to where he was sitting with Trunks, patting the couch next to him. "Bunny, uh, it's my professional opinion as a doctor that you should probably quit drinking the eggnog for the rest of the evening." He watched in relief as his ditzy wife nodded her head in acquiescence.

Trunks, who was fidgeting where he was sitting and eating, looked over at his mom, giving her his most pathetic look. "Mom, can I try some eggnog? I've never tasted it before."

Giving him an exasperated look, Bulma gave him the answer she did every year he asked. "No Trunks. You aren't old enough to drink alcoholic beverages. Until you turn 18, you'll just have to keep missing out on drinking the stuff."

Vegeta looked over to where his son was sitting looking dejected. He didn't understand what the big deal was in not letting Trunks drink the disgusting liquid. Besides, he thought it would add to his amusement not only getting to see his mother-in-law drunk, but his son as well. On top of that, he had a feeling if Trunks drank the grotesque concoction until he was flat out pissed, he probably wouldn't touch the stuff with a ten foot pole and then Vegeta wouldn't have to worry about his son getting into trouble with alcohol like all the teenagers he heard about in the news when he was old enough to want to start drinking. Swallowing his mouthful of food, he glanced over at where Trunks was giving Bulma an evil look for not getting his way.

"Brat, this year, you can have a glass of that disgusting liquid. By Saiyan standards, you're almost an adult." He watched as Trunks's eyes brightened in excitement and his little legs started to dance around happily, kicking the couch he was sitting on. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he could tell Bulma was not at all pleased with his interference and he knew it wouldn't be long before she would give him her two cents. All of this seemed to go unnoticed by Trunks, who had finally jumped off the couch and was on his way to the buffet on the side of the room that held the punch bowl. He'd only gotten about five steps when Bulma efficiently nabbed him, catching him with her hand snagging the back of his sweater. Trunks started to struggle against her grip, careful not to pull away to quickly unless he accidentally hurt her. The last thing he needed was a Christmas strapping from his dad because he forgot to watch his strength around his mother.

"Mom, let go! Dad said I could have a cup!"

"And I said you couldn't, mister. Don't think your father is doing this just because he's in a kind frame of mind. The only reason he's letting you is because he thinks it'll be funny if you drink too much, which I know is the only reason you want to drink the eggnog anyway, so you can act like another person who drank too much tonight. Isn't that right Vegeta?"

"Think what you want, Woman. Trunks is somewhat intelligent and if he decides to behave foolishly, then he will just have to suffer the consequences. By coddling him, you're only making him that much worse when he finally comes of age." Vegeta said gruffly, trying to hide the fact that Bulma was right on the money where it concerned his reasoning for letting Trunks try the eggnog. "Besides, one glass won't hurt him."

Letting a sigh of frustration out, Bulma let go of Trunks's sweater. "Fine. You may have one glass, but only one. If I catch you over their taking a swig when you don't think anyone is looking, I will personally see to it that Santa won't be making a stop tonight."

"Come on Mom, only sissy babies believe in Santa. I'm too old for that garbage." Trunks said in his best imitation of Vegeta.

"Oh really? Well, then I guess you won't mind missing out on getting extra gifts under the tree tomorrow morning if that's the way you feel."

"You mean I really won't get anything under the tree tomorrow if I don't believe in Santa anymore?" He was only trying to look tough in front of his dad. In reality, he still believed in Santa to a certain extent although, realistically, he had a hard time believing Santa was an old fat dude with an ugly beard.

"Bulma, stop pestering Trunks. The sooner he gets his blasted eggnog, the quicker we can get this holiday garbage over with and the faster I can go to bed." Vegeta said grumpily as he watched his son trying to cover the fact that he still believed in the ridiculous elf. Watching Bulma throw up her hands in defeat, Vegeta relaxed somewhat in his chair, finishing off the last of Mrs. Briefs's cream cheese puffs, which happened to be his favorite holiday food.

"Are you serious about wanting to go to bed after we're done down here? It'll only be around eight o'clock Vegeta. Even Trunks doesn't call it a night that early the day before Christmas."

Looking over at where Bulma was sitting, he was a little confused over the fact that she looked disappointed he wanted to call it an early night. The truth was, the stress from the mall had taken a lot more out of him than he realized and he was tired. Besides that, the quicker he went to bed, the more rest he would get so he could face tomorrow. If he thought Christmas Eve spent with his immediate family was taxing, enduring Christmas Day with the rest of the Z-squad was enough to tax his nerves to the hilt. While it was true he had gotten used to their stupid get togethers, Christmas was the one time when everybody acted like idiots and Bulma refused to let him sit on the sidelines.

Deciding to approach her concern as a way to divert her curiosity in a different direction, Vegeta suddenly gave Bulma a knowing smirk. "Why, do you want to entertain me tonight? Is that why you're so worried about me calling it an early night? If that's the case, I can stay up a bit later."

Bulma felt herself blushing, especially when Trunks walked past the two of them with his eggnog, overhearing his parents' conversation. "_Ewww_! You two are disgusting!" He groaned, trying to cover his ears even though both of his hands were full: one with more food and the other with his glass of eggnog. Honestly, he was eleven and he had started figuring out things about the birds and the bees, especially after taking that disgusting class on puberty with the rest of the boys in his class. When he was younger, like last year, he had thought his mom and dad's entertainment centered around watching TV together. But now he knew it had to do with kissing, which he saw them doing all the time even though they didn't think anyone could see them. Yuck! He was still at that stage in life when he thought girls had cooties and the thought of his parents making out on Christmas Eve in private was completely revolting.

"Oh Trunks, go drink your eggnog and pester your grandparents until we open presents. This is a private conversation between your father and myself." Honestly, she hated the fact that her son had super sensitive hearing like Vegeta. Sometimes it was so embarrassing, especially when he heard things about their personal lives. Before this year, she really hadn't cared because Trunks hadn't started making adult connections. However, that was starting to change and it was uncomfortable to think that her little boy was growing up, and along with growing up came the realization that he was beginning to understand adult connotations, although not fully yet. She watched as he rolled his eyes and skipped over to where her mother was half passed out and her father was playing with his stupid black cat. Turning back to Vegeta, she whispered under her breath.

"That's not why I'll be disappointed if you go to bed early you idiot. And next time, can you please learn to refrain from saying suggestive phrases in front of our son? It's embarrassing!"

"Huh, I'm not changing my demeanor just because he's finally starting to understand the way things are."

"Oh, you are so impossible sometimes! Honestly, the only reason you do it is because you get a kick out of making people miserable, admit it. But if push came to shove and Trunks actually walked in us in a compromising position, you would be the first one to run away with your tail between your legs." Seeing Vegeta glower at her, Bulma decided to move their little party along. Standing up quickly, she made her way over to the tree and clapped her hands together to get everyone's attention. "Okay everyone! Is everybody done eating?" Seeing that they were all nodding their heads except for Vegeta who looked like he'd just swallowed a bucket full of nails, Bulma decided to proceed. "So how about we open presents?" Everyone seemed agreeable (except for Vegeta, who could be a real sourpuss when he felt like it) and Trunks even jumped in the air and screamed for joy. This was his personal favorite part of Christmas at his house besides getting the loot that Santa left behind for him under the tree.

Vegeta just slouched lower in his chair, crossing his arms and grimacing at everyone's foolish behavior. They were just presents, nothing more. He felt that it was a waste of energy to act excited about receiving something you already knew you were going to get in advance. At least for him, he always knew what he was going to get. He watched as Bulma put on the ridiculous Santa hat she insisted upon wearing when handing out gifts, making sure everyone had gathered in close. Rummaging around behind her, she pulled up a large box that Vegeta instinctively knew was for his ungrateful brat.

"Okay, this one is for you Trunks, from your Grandpa and Grandma." Trunks grabbed it from his mom before she even had a chance to hand it to him, ripping the paper of in record speed. Vegeta looked on, slightly curious to see what the nitwit and the old man had gotten his son this year for Christmas. It was a skateboard. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, he thought about how much of pain Trunks was going to be with the stupid thing. Vegeta made a mental note to secretly dispose of it like he had with Trunks's BMX bike and roller blades when the stupid child had consistently not put them away, making it dangerous to maneuver around the house without tripping over them.

"Wow, cool Grandma and Gramps! It even has an awesome skull on it. Goten's gonna be so jealous when he sees it." Trunks yelled excitedly, thinking of all the ways he could gloat about his good fortune tomorrow before he shared his loot with his best friend.

Bulma shook her head and grabbed the next present behind her. "Mom, this one if for you from me, Vegeta and Trunks," she said as she handed her mother the slim package she was holding. Mrs. Briefs simpered over the gift certificate and nightgown, making Vegeta want to strangle her for being so obnoxious. Deciding he couldn't stand paying attention to what everyone was getting, he started to meditate in his chair. He didn't know how long he had been lost in his own sense of self when he heard Bulma mention his name.

"Yoo-hoo, Vegeta? Wake up over there!" Bulma yelled exasperated. Honestly, he was acting like such a space cadet today.

"What do you want Woman?" Vegeta yelled back, thoroughly annoyed that Bulma was yelling at him in front of everyone.

"I'm trying to give you your present from my parents, you big dolt! Here!" With that, she bodily chucked it at his oversized head, disappointed when he quickly snatched it out of thin air and simultaneously pulled the wrapper off of it.

Vegeta just looked at it. He was puzzled by what it was his mother and father-in-law had deemed worthy enough to give to a prince. It looked like a strange piece of cloth with an ugly pin stripe design on it. Throwing it to the side, he nodded his head in acknowledgement, only annoying Bulma more because he wouldn't say what he had gotten.

"Fine, be a spoil sport and not share with everyone what my parents got you. Sometimes Vegeta, you have a knack for ruining a perfectly good time!" With that, Bulma pulled the next present out from behind her. It was a small box, and she wrinkled her brow trying to speculate who it was for. Opening the tag, she was pleasantly surprised to see it was for her from Vegeta. Looking at it, she could even tell he had wrapped it himself. He'd been getting her presents the last couple of years, but most of them were things she didn't even understand why he thought she would appreciate them, guessing they were more of a gag than anything else. Curious, she told everyone it was for her from Vegeta, noticing that his attention immediately had perked up.

Vegeta was somewhat nervous. He'd gotten Bulma's present over a month ago deciding to try and find something she would actually appreciate. He didn't really know what had possessed him to do it. Perhaps it was the fact that she always gave him thoughtful and considerate presents and the ones he had gotten her in the past were more for his own amusement then hers. Watching her carefully remove his wrapping job, he tried to act as nonchalant and uncaring as possible while secretly, he hoped and prayed she would find his gift acceptable.

Bulma took off the paper slowly, knowing the suspense was probably killing everyone except for Vegeta who still looked grumpy. Seeing that it was a small box, she suddenly had a suspicion. Opening the box, she saw a ring winking back at her. It was quite possibly the most beautiful ring she had ever seen, and it was all the more beautiful because Vegeta had obviously picked it out himself, seeing the shocked look on her mother's face. It was a simple white gold band, but it held a beautiful round cut sapphire nestled between three small diamonds. Overall, it was simple but elegant, not at all gaudy. Looking over at Vegeta who was still sitting in tense anticipation, she felt her stupid hormones kick in as she fought her tears of happiness. All she needed was for Vegeta to think she didn't like his gift when he'd gone to so much trouble. Letting out a bright smile, she tried to act like her normal self, deciding to thank him more appropriately in private, knowing he wouldn't like her to make a show in front of her family. "Wow, thanks Vegeta! This sure beats that rototiller you gave me last year." Carefully putting it down, she reached behind her and pulled out the last three presents, knowing they were all for Vegeta from her.

"Here Vegeta. These are for you from me." She watched as he opened them, seeing his satisfied look at receiving capsules filled with upgraded training bots he could destroy at leisure, some new and improved training suits and subscription to the stupid body builders magazine he liked reading. Knowing he wasn't going to truly acknowledge them until later, Bulma decided to wrap up the evening. Grabbing a garbage bag, she thrust it at Trunks as she stood up from her spot in front of the tree. "Well, that concludes this year's Christmas Eve festivities at the Briefs home. Trunks, help your Grandpa pick up the trash while I help your Grandma carry out the dishes. Looking at where Vegeta was still sitting holding onto his new things, she decided to have him help out as well. "Hey Vegeta, make yourself useful and carry the eggnog into the kitchen, will you?" No one had drank very much of it and the punch bowl it was in was extremely heavy and awkward. Letting out a sigh of relief when he did what she told him to do, she continued on with picking up the empty trays and unused flatware. In no time at all, it was impossible to tell that moments before, the place had been a wreck with wrapping paper and ribbons strewn all over the floor. Looking at the living room in satisfaction, Bulma kissed her parents who had decided to go back to their rooms for the rest of the evening since her mother wasn't feeling too well. Trunks wanted to try out his new skateboard, which Bulma refused to let him, so he decided to go up to his room to try out the new video games his parents had bought him for Christmas instead. Besides that, he was going to pull off the stupid sweater he had been forced to wear and ki blast it like he'd seen his dad do a million times to the things he didn't like. Making disgusted noises when his mom kissed him, Trunks scrambled away from her as fast as he could when she let go.

Watching Trunks go, Bulma let out a sigh of relief realizing that she and Vegeta were finally alone. Seeing that he was seated back in his recliner, Bulma walked over to where he was seated, settling herself on the arm, ruffling his hair affectionately much to Vegeta's irritation.

"So, you managed to survive another Christmas Eve Vegeta. Now all you have left to do is be somewhat personable tomorrow and then the last holiday you'll have to endure will be New Years. Then you'll have a whole year to resign yourself to the inevitably of next year's holiday season." Seeing that he was just sitting there, she decided to ask him about why he hadn't gone up to bed like he had said he was going to. "Hey, I thought you were going to go to bed? So, what's the deal?"

"And I thought you didn't want me to go to bed. So I'm sitting here waiting for whatever it is you wanted to share with me in private. That is why you didn't want me to leave, correct Woman?"

Bulma swallowed nervously. Sometimes, she underestimated Vegeta's ability to think and reason logically, an ability he had that almost rivaled her own. Standing up abruptly, she backed away to get some air and some space. Now that it was time to share her secret, she was suddenly overset with nervousness and nausea. What if he didn't like what she was going to tell him? Deciding to evade him a little longer, she turned around only to run into Vegeta's chest. Backing away slightly, she decided to thank him for his present so she could get some of her courage back.

"Vegeta…Vegeta, what you gave me, I'm…well, I love it. It's the nicest thing anyone has ever given me besides you know, when you gave me Trunks. Thank you." With that, she leaned forward and kissed him; happy when he wrapped his arms around her and returned her offering in full. Letting the feelings of contentment and peace with each other wash over their bodies, Bulma and Vegeta pulled away from the kiss they were sharing, looking deeply into each other's eyes.

Looking into Bulma's blue eyes, Vegeta wanted to tell her he had picked the stone out because it reminded him of their color: clear and lucid. The only thing was, he wasn't romantic and Bulma would probably think he'd lost his mind if he started spouting off ridiculous lines to her. Besides, they had truly grown comfortable around each other over the years, being able to communicate without saying very much to each other and he knew Bulma realized how much his gift really signified. Feeling Bulma begin to get antsy in his arms, he released her and watched her as she walked over to the Christmas tree.

Folding his arms, he decided to thank her as well.

"Your gifts were adequate. Hopefully this year's batch of training bots will last longer than last year's. Their performance was pitiful."

Bulma only smiled, realizing it was Vegeta's way of saying thank you and that he appreciated the time and effort she put into making sure he continued to have state of the art training materials. At any rate, she felt her confidence return about giving him the rest of his Christmas presents. He really had changed over the years they had weathered together. Not personality wise, but he was no longer the selfish, cruel and hate filled individual she had become aquatinted with on Namek. Deep in her heart, she knew her uncertainties about his reaction to her secret were unfounded, but there was only one way to find out and that was to get it over with.

Looking over at him, she opened her mouth. "Vegeta, there is one other thing I'd like to give you for Christmas. I mean, I can't really give it to you in the physical sense. Well, maybe in a few months I will be able to. And maybe it would be more appropriate if I said you gave it to me." God, she was all tongue tied all of a sudden and she sounded like she was the one who had gotten drunk off the eggnog instead of her mother.

Looking at Bulma, Vegeta furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. What was wrong with her? She wasn't making any sense. "Just spit out what it is you want to tell me Woman!"

Taking a deep breath, Bulma let it all out. "I'm pregnant Vegeta." There. She had said it. Now, she just had to wait for his reaction. Hopefully, he wouldn't throw a temper tantrum and then disappear into space while she suffered the indignity of being abandoned by her husband because he didn't want the inconvenience of having a child, just as he had done when she had told him about Trunks. Of course, that had happened years ago and like she had thought before, Vegeta wasn't that same person.

Vegeta just stared at her, completely dumbstruck. He knew whatever she had to tell him was important but he certainly hadn't expected that piece of news. Letting his emotions flood past his mind, it took him a full minute to compose himself enough to reply.

"You are?"

Rolling her eyes, Bulma let out a nervous giggle. "Yes you big ox! I wouldn't be telling you if I wasn't one hundred percent sure. I had it confirmed a couple of days ago, but I decided to wait until today to tell you, sort of like an extra present." Deciding to go in for the kill, she asked him the all-important question. "Are you okay with this Vegeta?"

Realizing she thought he might blow a gasket like he had when she had told him about Trunks, Vegeta decided it would be best to make her fears dissipate before she became a basket case.

"Yes Bulma, I'm fine with it. What else am I supposed to say?"

"Well, you could say you were happy for one thing."

"Fine. I'm happy. Just as long as they don't end up being a spoiled brat like our son"

Letting out a sigh of relief, Bulma smiled cheesily at Vegeta. She had wanted another child for so long and she had despaired of it ever happening, especially since she wasn't getting any younger, being in her early forties. It wasn't until after Pan had been born that she had realized how much she longed for another infant. Just when she thought it would never happen, Dende had seen fit to give her this small gift, which meant the world to Bulma, especially since Vegeta was pleased as well. Going back up to her handsome husband, she gave him another warm hug. Could Christmas Eve really ever be this perfect?

"Come on tough guy. Since you're still awake, want to help me bring down Trunks's gifts from Santa?"

"Not particularly, but since you asked nicely, I might help." Besides which, he suddenly felt overprotective, afraid that Bulma would hurt herself and their unborn child by accident. Gods above, had he known she was pregnant, he would never have allowed her to go to the mall today. What the hell had she been thinking? Still, it was rather late to be regretting that seeing as it had already occurred. Trying to rid himself of horrific images of the mall from hell, he followed Bulma to where she had stashed all of Trunks's other presents. Grabbing the whole pile, we walked back into the living room and put them around the tree like he had seen Bulma do every single year since Trunks was old enough to believe in the silly fairy tale. "Woman, aren't you afraid that he'll come down here and look before it's morning time?"

"Where have you been Vegeta? Trunks always comes down to sneak a peek after you and I turn in for the night. He won't be down for a few hours anyway, so as long as we hang out down here, his loot as he calls it will remain safety anonymous."

Sitting down on the couch, she patted the seat next to her, leaning on Vegeta when he sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her back.

"Just think Vegeta, next year we'll have two kids to play Santa to. Aren't you excited?"

"Huh, I can hardly wait." He muttered sarcastically. It was still somewhat of a shock to think that he was actually going to have another brat, especially since he had never intended on fathering any children in the first place. He didn't realize he was grinning until Bulma looked at him questioningly.

"What's with the smile?"

"Hah! Kakarot and I will finally be able to call a draw on something seeing as we will both have an equal number of brats. Hopefully, this one will one day be able to kick Kakarot's offspring into the ground."

"Oh, come on Vegeta. You don't really mean that about having our child kick Goku's kids into the dirt. For all your rivalry, I know you and Goku are finally friends. Besides, I'm hoping this one's a little girl."

"What? Why would you want a girl?" Vegeta asked as he absently stroked Bulma's soft hair. It had never crossed his mind that he might father a girl. He was a Prince so it was his belief that he would only sire sons to carry on the family line. Powerful sons like his brat Trunks, who he was deeply proud of even if the boy drove him to insanity on a regular basis.

"Because I think it'd be fun to have someone to go shopping with and pamper, that's why. Anyway, it's too early to tell. Just promise me you'll be happy if it is a girl."

"What choice would I have? At any rate, she'd be half Saiyan and she'd have the blood of my ancestors running through her veins, so that would make her powerful. Just as long as you don't turn her into one of those silly simpering chits who only think about clothing, makeup and jewelry, then I'll be satisfied."

Bulma smiled at Vegeta. She could totally see him turning any daughter of theirs into what he had just said he wouldn't like. He spoiled Trunks enough as it was, even though he would be the last to admit it. Letting out a yawn, Bulma decided it was time to get ready for bed even if it was still early.

"Come on Vegeta, let's go to our room." Standing up, she waited for him to do the same. Walking together over to the doorway that led out of the living room, Vegeta suddenly pulled her to a stop.

Looking up at him, she tried to figure out what he was up to. "What Vegeta?"

"Nothing." Bending in slightly, he kissed her on the mouth and then smirked at her.

"Merry Christmas Vegeta." Bulma whispered happily to her husband, surprised when for the first time, Vegeta returned the statement.

"Merry Christmas Woman." With that, the two of them walked hand in hand back up to their rooms, satisfied and content with what the Christmas season had brought them and their little family.

_Fini_

_Well, I hope the ending wasn't too sappy for you. It's my little interpretation of how Vegeta found out about Bra who ends up becoming his spoiled little princess. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it._


End file.
